On March 12, 2021 Jhené Aiko blessed streaming services with her debut mixtape sailing soul(s). The mixtape was originally released on March 16, 2011, which earned her first record deal along with critically acclaimed success. In my opinion, Jhené is currently on top of the female R&B game, and hearing this just solidifies it for me. Not only does it add another banger to her discography, but emphasizes how long she’s been doing it. It really doesn’t seem like she’s that old, but she’s been making quality music since before I was even really listening to music like that.
Because of her longevity in the game, it’s begging the question, is she underrated? She’s been in the R&B game for 10 years now, and she’s definitely popular, but I don’t think she’s on the level that she could be. Chilombo, her third studio album, was her first project that went platinum. She’s also never had a number one album. Now, why would this be? Because she’s not a sellout who decided to go pop. She’s stayed true to her sound and continues to produce quality music for the real listeners (sorry pop fans).
If you liked her debut album Souled Out, then you’ll like this. Truthfully, if you like Jhené, then you’ll like this. One thing about her is she has her own signature sound. Not to say that she’s repetitive, but you know what you’re getting with her. Heavy emphasis on real instruments and few samples, attitude filled vocals, good production, and rap-like flows. If gun to my head, off the dome, I had to describe her music in one phrase, it’d be: “Pretty Thug Music.” Her voice is so soft but it also sounds she’ll kill you if you cross her, if you’ve heard her this should make sense to you.
“stranger”
The tape immediately starts with a banger in “stranger”. Easily one of my favorite songs out of her entire collection of work, which means it gets a paragraph of its own. One part of her music I appreciate most is her songwriting ability. The concepts of them are always creative and focused, but usually about love. That ability was on full display here, she expresses her frustration with men all being the same, but claiming to be different. The catchy hook being, “I meet him everyday”. Being just the second song on the album, she immediately establishes that cute thug persona, and she’s run with it throughout her entire career. The music video is posted below, along with her Tiny Desk Concert in which she performs “stranger” at 1:46.
Original “hoe”
She follows this up with the original to her hit song off Chilombo, “hoe”. This is just another example of her creative songwriting ability. I’m sure most have heard it by now, but the hook states, “I hope she don’t think, that I think that she’s some type of hoe… I don’t care, that just lets me know that she knows what she wants.” I just feel like no one else is thinking like that, but maybe it’s just me. Personally, I liked the song better when it had Future on it, but c’est la vie.
Popular
She then swings it to “popular”. This song wasn’t necessarily my favorite, but it sure does show off her bag. Somehow she was able to make a cheesy band song into an R&B song that actually had some serious flow. And made it all make sense by talking about people in her high school. On top of all that she made the song good, a staple of her music of course. The song is purposefully cheesy but catchy at the same time and it really works.
Second Half
To close it out she adds “sailing NOT selling”, practically a rap song, followed by another cheesy but catchy love song in “space jam”, and finally my second favorite joint, “living room flow” a classic Jhené Aiko sexually charged song that she often incorporates in her works.
But Yeah…
I’ve really been enjoying this new trend of top artists adding their original mixtapes or projects to streaming services. It’s like they’re releasing their origin story, and plus we get to hear what they sound like before major labels and fan pressure has an effect on their music. Behind Souled Out, this newly released mixtape is easily my second favorite project from her. It has everything you love about Jhené and I think it really set the tone for her career. She was making tough guy music for pretty girls then and she’s been doing so ever since. So if you’re looking for an R&B artist with soft voice that’s filled with attitude who has a flow that’s much like a rapper’s, look no further. Check out sailing soul(s), especially my favorite songs, listed below and let me know what you think.
Favorite Songs
- stranger
- my mine
- sailing NOT selling
- living room flow
- mirror